Spinach. Brussels sprouts. Carrots. Oh my! If you’re not a fan of vegetables, you probably haven’t cooked them correctly. If you’ve ever eaten over-cooked, mushy, tasteless veggies, it’s no wonder you push aside your peas. Not only are overcooked veggies bland and unappealing, they’re also devoid of a lot of the nutrients and antioxidants that fresh vegetables offer. Learning how to properly prepare veggies can solve this crisis – and it is a crisis because vegetables are chockfull of the good stuff your body needs. So, I challenge you to give vegetables another chance.

The best methods for cooking vegetables are grilling, steaming, blanching, or sautéing them in a little bit of olive oil. Vegetables only need to be cooked until they are just tender and still al dente (like pasta) inside. Once they become soft, they lose their taste and texture. If you still need a little extra pizzazz, punch up the flavor by adding lemon or lime juice, garlic, herbs or seasonings, none of which will add calories to your meal.